Steam-turbine.



No. 639,608. Patented' De c. l9, I899. v

C. A, PARSONS.

NlTE-D STATES ATENT FFICE.

CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, OF N EWOASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR'TO THE WESTINGHOUSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTS- BURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM-TU RBIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,608, dated December 19, 1899.

Application filed January 14, 1897. Renewed November 17, 1899. Serial No. 737,381. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Newcastle-upon- Tyne, in the county of Northu mberland, En gland, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam-Turbines, of which improvement the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a steam-turbine of an improved and comparatively inexpensive construction; and to this end my invention consists in an improvement in the construction of and in means for securing in place the blades or vanes of steam-turbines and in certain combinations and features of construction, all as hereinafter set forth.

In accordance with my invention the blades may be formed of any convenient metal or alloy and of any desired section by stamping, rolling, or drawing in strips and cutting up these strips in lengths suitable for blades, and the ends of the blades are inserted and secured by means of distance-pieces in a groove formed in a drum, wheel, cylinder, disk, cone, or other rotary carrier, which is adapted to be rotated by the action of the fluid on the blades, or they may be similarly secured to the casing or other fixed part when employed as guide-blades.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a strip of metal of a form suitable for blades; Fig. 2, a perspective view of a blade cut from a strip similar to that shown in Fig. 1, the lower end portion of the blade being grooved or serrated near one end; Fig. 3, a perspective view of astrip of metal of a form suitable for making distance-pieces; Fig. 4, a perspective view of a distance-piece cut from a strip similar to that shown in Fig. 3; Fig.

5, a section on the line it w of Fig. '7 through a portion of the rotary carrier, blades, and distance-pieces; Fig. 6, a plan view of a portion of the turbine, showing the blades in end view; Fig. 7, a transverse section through a portion of the turbine, the rotary carrier and distance-piece being shown in section; Fig.

8, a perspective view showing a modification in which the blade or vane is formed integral with a thickened end piece or foot, by which the separate distance-piece, already referred to, may be dispensed with; Fig. 9, a side elevation of a portion of a turbine, showing a number of blades in place, with a ring passing through holes in the ends of the blades for the purpose of tying them together; Fig. 10, a side elevation of a number of blades, showing a ring passing through and secured in notches in the sides of the blades for the purpose of tying them together; and Fig. 11, a transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 10, showing a blade in elevation and the ring in section; Fig. 12, a view similar to Fig. 11, showing the tie-ringsecured-in notches formed in the ends of the blades; Fig. 13, aview showing guide-blades secured in a fixed part of the turbine and a keyed piece in place at the end of the groove; Fig. 14, a section on the line y y of Fig. 13; Fig. 15, a plan View showing part of the fixed grooved portion of the turbine shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the blades and keyed piece being removed.

In one application of my improvement the blades may be formed by first rollingordrawing the metal into strips 1 of any desired length and form of cross-section, as shown in Fig. 1, and then cutting the strips into the proper lengths to form the blades 2, as shown in Fig. 2.

The portion of the turbine 6 to which the blades are secured is provided with a groove 8, which is adapted to receive one end of each of the blades 2. That end of each of the blades which is placed in the groove 8 may be grooved, as at 3 in Fig. 2, or serrated or roughened or upset or headed, and between the blades 2 distance-pieces 5 are fitted in the groove and are of such a thickness as to keep the desired distance apart. These distancepieces may be formed in strips 4, as shown in Fig. 3, by rolling or drawing in the same manner as the strips shown in Fig. 1, from which the blades are out, the two sides of the strip being formed with curvatures corresponding to the curvature of the front and rear surfaces of the blades of the turbine. From the rated, or roughened surfaces to increase their strips the distance-pieces are cut off in 1 lengths substantially equal to or slightly greater than the depth of the groove into which they are fitted. After placing or ramming the distance-pieces and the ends of the blades into the circular groove 8 the distancepieces are staved, calked, or hammered into the groove, so as to expand them against the sides of the groove and against the roughened, grooved, headed, or serrated end portions of the blades. If preferred, the dis tance-pieces or the sides of the groove, or both, may be serrated, grooved, or roughened to increase the holding power of the distancepieces, and for the same purpose the sides of the groove may be undercut, as shown in Fig. 7, or provided with corrugations or ridges. When I use this method of fastening the blades within the interior cylindrical surface 9 of my steam-turbine, I arrange at the edges 10, where the cylindrical casing 11 is divided into semicylinders, a series of strong keyed pieces or blades 12 to take the side thrust of the distance-pieces when calked or staved up. These keyed pieces 12 are preferably somewhat thicker and stronger than the blades 2 and are fitted and secured in a dovetailed recess at the end of and somewhat deeper than the groove 8, into which the blades 2 are fitted.

By my new method of constructing and fastening blades I obtain great strength of blade, great hold orsecurity of fastening in the disk, cylinder, or cone,'and ease and rapidity of manufacture, the drum or disk being provided with a peripheral or circumferential groove into which the blades are inserted and from which they may be separately removed. Any damage to a few or to a single blade does not require the discarding of any of the uninjured parts in making repairs, so that the repairs may be inexpensively and quickly effected.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a blade 2 having a foot or base 5 formed integral therewith, the blade and foot being formed by stamping. The foot or base may serve alone as a distance-piece and be secured in place by calking or staving, or a distance-piece of suitable size to keep the blades the proper distance apart may be employed, and this distancepiece and the foot or base may both be calked or staved to secure the blades in place, and either or both of them may have grooved, serholding power.

When the blades are long, I form the blades 2 with a notch on the sides, as at Figs. 10 and 11, or sometimes on the tops, as at Fig. 12, and I pass a circular ring 7 through the notches and so tie the blades together. Instead of a notch I may form holes in the blades to carry a circular rod 7, as in Fig. 12. In either case I may braze or solder the circular tie-ring to the blades, or the ring may be secured by welding byeleotricity or other Il'lGftIlS.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a rotary engine, or turbine, adruin or disk having a groove formed therein, blades having their ends inserted in the groove, and separate distancepieces in the groove between the blades, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, or turbine, a drum or disk having a groove formed therein, blades having their ends inserted in the groove, and separate distance-pieces in the groove between the blades which are adapted to be staved or driven tightly in place to secure the blades to the turbine, substantially as set forth.

In a steam-turbine, the combination, with a fixed or rotary member of a groove formed therein, blades having their ends inserted in the groove and provided with serrated, grooved, roughened, or headed, portions, and separate distance-pieces in the groove for securing the blades to the member and keeping the blades a proper distance apart, substantially as set fort-h.

4-. In a steam-turbine, blades having their ends soon red in an undercut peripheral groove formed in a rotary carrier, and separate distance pieces separating and securing the blades in place, substantially as set forth.

5. In a steamturbine, the combination, With a rotary carrier, of blades projecting therefrom, and a circular ring to which the blades are secured for tying the outer ends of the blades together, substantially as set forth.

6. In a steam-turbine, the combination, with a fixed or rotary member, of blades secured thereto and projecting therefrom, and a circular ring passing through the outer end portions of the blades and secured thereto, substantially as set forth.

7. In a steamturbine, the combination, with a fixed or rotary member, of blades secured thereto, and projecting therefrom, and a circular ring passing through the outer end portions of the blades and secured thereto by brazing or welding, substantially as set forth.

8. In a steam-turbine, the combination, with a drum or disk made in sections, of a number of blades secured in a groove, of a piece secured in place at the end of the groove to resist movement or displacement of the blades, substantially as set forth.

9. In a steamturbine, the combination, with a drum or disk made in sections, of a number of blades secured in a groove, of a keyed or dovetailed piece securedin place at y,

CHARLES iterator masons.

Witnesses:

THOMAS J AMEsoN, THOMAS RODI-IAM HUToHINsoN. 

